Revolutionary Planning Bill to energise UK Infrastructure growth

The UK government is set to supercharge the nation’s clean energy transition with the introduction of the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill, a pivotal step in achieving energy security and economic growth. The Bill prioritises grid connections for critical clean energy projects, reshaping the outdated “first come, first served” system to a more efficient “first ready, first connected” approach.

Key measures include:

• Prioritising essential projects to achieve clean power by 2030.
• Cutting grid connection wait times by up to seven years.
• Fast-tracking decisions on at least 150 major infrastructure projects this Parliament.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner described the reforms as a bold step toward fixing the country’s broken planning system, while Energy Secretary Ed Miliband highlighted the mission to eliminate fossil fuel dependency through clean, homegrown energy.

The Bill also aims to unlock £200Bn of investment in new transmission infrastructure, creating thousands of jobs and shielding households from volatile fossil fuel markets. Projects ranging from solar farms to hydrogen facilities will benefit from accelerated approval processes, streamlining consultations, and modernised planning frameworks.

Dozens of clean energy projects, including wind and solar power, will jump to the front of the queue for grid connections, as the government paves the way for a new era of clean electricity through the Plan for Change to achieve clean power by 2030.

Decisions for onshore and offshore wind, solar power, electricity grids, hydrogen, carbon capture and nuclear power stations will be fast-tracked to accelerate growth, creating thousands of new jobs, adding billions to the UK economy, and delivering more clean energy for people to heat and power their homes.

Further targeted reforms include:

• Incentives for hosting critical grid infrastructure.
• Unlocking investments in long-duration electricity storage.
• Expediting EV chargepoint installations.
• Cutting delays for infrastructure in Scotland.

The government’s ten-year Infrastructure Strategy also aligns with these reforms, fostering private investment and paving the way for a resilient and prosperous energy future.